[Mary4]

Charlie, 4 months, has become the love of our life. He's just about perfect. Loves to cuddle, loves to play. Very social.

But we're having some issues with pad training. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. First, he came from living in a small apartment and supposedly was pad trained. Our house isn't huge but it's much bigger than what he came from. Originally I thought I'd put the pad in the downstairs bathroom. Then I decided he's so young and the house is bigger than he's used to so I'll put out more. Now I have one in the downstairs bathroom, and one in the living room. Upstairs I have one in my bedroom (Where he usually sleeps in his bed; I don't crate.) I also have one down in each of my daughters' rooms if he's going to spend the night with him.

I try to be consistent and have read all the tips. Every morning I bring him downstairs to the bathroom and I shut the door. (I bring a treat with me in case he goes.) Then I wait. And wait. And wait. Sometimes he'll pee on the pad and I give him all kinds of praise and love and kisses and then give him a treat. Then I wait for him to poop. Never happens. As soon as I let him out of the bathroom, he will look for another treat and as I'm getting coffee or something, will poop on the carpet. Only once has he pooped on the pad.

I've tried putting a clean pad down immediately after he pees but that made no difference. I keep telling myself to be patient. He isn't even consistent with peeing on the pad; it's probably 70% of the time that he does.

Second problem is I think I've created a fussy eater. I have him on Wellness puppy food, which is what he came with. I give him a quarter cup three times a day, which is what the vet said to give him. The first few days he was here he was a little timid getting used to everything and everyone and didn't eat great, but after that, it was perfect. He ate every meal, though he usually likes me to be in the room with him while he's eating. I didn't give him many treats, an occasional baby carrot, which he loves. He gets a little bit of cheese when he uses the pad.

Now the past two days he has hardly ate anything. He's not sick. A few days ago I gave him a little bit of a chicken breast as a treat. Now I'm thinking he wants real food instead. I don't have time to cook for him really. On our first vet appointment, we did talk about eating and he said, just like kids, when they get hungry enough, they'll eat. (But just like kids, I worry when they don't eat. I don't want to do what I did with my kids, which was creating picky eaters that I need to make separate meals for every night.

So any suggestions on these issues? Charlie really is such a love and I can't believe how in love I am with him. I wasn't really thrilled with getting a dog, never mind a puppy, but it's like he was meant to be with us.